Many memorable things have happened in 2025 for me and my family. As I write this article, I am thinking back to our family vacation in the Dominican Republic (DR) over the summer. My parents took my sister and me to visit beaches, restaurants, and family. My parents wanted my sister and me to know more about our culture.
One of the places that I remember the most was visiting my mother’s cousin in Nagua. She cooked a traditional Dominican plate that I ate with so much love. One of the traditional plates of the Dominican Republic is white rice, red beans, and chicken. My mother cooks this traditional dish at home, but tasting it in the Dominican Republic was different as the ingredients came right from the ground – my mother’s cousin’s plants, vegetables, beans, and rice.
Also, my sister and I visited Bonao which is where my father’s family is from and where he grew up. In Bonao, I met new family members from my father’s side, and it was exciting. We visited their home, and they also cooked delicious food for the family. My father took my sister and me to his cousin’s house in the mountains, and to our surprise they have a farm of roosters, chickens, and hens to feed, then sell to people.
As I thought of the many things that happened to my family and I in 2025, I wondered how 2025 was for staff at Patrick M. Villano School. I asked Kristy Friedman, the Digital Citizenship teacher, what she’ll remember about 2025.
“The event that stands out most from 2025 was our school’s March Madness basketball game. It was incredible to see our students filled with energy, excitement, and school spirit. Watching the entire student body walk together to the high school to compete and cheer one another on created a true sense of unity and pride. I sincerely hope this becomes a lasting tradition for future students to experience and enjoy,” Friedman said.
As I combined the experiences of both Friedman and myself for 2025, I realized that special memories can be from family as well as school. The impact of both can be memorable in our lives.
